The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-11-25
LETTER FROM AMERICUS.
Our Correspondent Spends a
Week in the InteriOr-Tells OF
His Visit to Cane Grindings-
The Professor Rides a Horse
Other Notes Of Interest.
AMERIcUs, MISS, Nov. Is, 1887.

wednesday, November tue Jtn
in company with two grip sacks, d
shot gun, 100 rounds Of ammuntiou
and numerous other paraphernalia.
we shook the dust of Moss Point
from our feet for "A weeks visit tt
tho interior country on a hunting
and general pleasure trip. To say
we have had IA most enjoyable time
conveys only a vague idea of our
feelings.
At II IN. OH the day mentioned,
mountin. the mail hack, We turned
our back on Moss Point and the
city of saw mills was lost to view
as the tall pines in all their mag
nifcence arose on the right, On the
left, before and behind. The trip
up was marked with nothing unu-
sual, aud our destination was reach
ed about z pm. that evening.
Thursday dawned cloudy and
threatening, and as the mist scat
tered athwart the skies there was
every evidence OLA good rain before
morning, but it came not, and by
Friday noon the clouds entirely
disappeared, the sun Slone out
bright aud clear, and the weather
reminded one of mid August in.
stead of November.
"Canc grinding" and ''pOtato
digging" are at their zenith, aud
every place we have visited Que or
the other pursuits pred0mInate.
Hearing a big ''cane grinding" was
in progress at The residence of Mr..
JnO. NJ. Golf, ST., VIC hied ourselves
away in that direction Thursday
morning where the day WIS spent.
The process OF m0laSscS making
was not entirely new to US, having
seen it some years ago in the
grand old State of Texas. Never
tbeleSs it excited our curiosity from
The fact they used an "evapnrato.'
instead of All "Oprn kettle The
evaporation used here is commonly
called "fve pan" aud The property
of Mr.. John Ely. 1t consists OF
necessary furnace and piping and
one large copper pan about -four
inches deep an! in point of size We
should guess 36x72 inches. This
pan is divided up into five compnt
ments OF equal size, aud they IN
turn connected by small "gateS.'
The raw juice is placed in Il tank at
the head OF the evap0rlto!, and the
pan filed. When the course OF
cooking Is complete, the ''chaIgc'
is drawn from pan o, the contents
of pan 4 tnTn Il INTO i've, 3 into /,
2 into 3, l into 2, aud | refl!rd wi h
raw juice. Hence by this mrthoa
it will be seen the process Of cook
ing is continual, aud II decided i'm
prOVement On the old ''orpn
kettle" style. The mill proper is on
the same principle us lnosr used
everywhere, except of u small siz''.
1t is run by horse power.
The grinding at Mr.. Gof'S was
not flushed until Friday night,
when u large crowd OF yOhng folks
from the surrounding country, in
Guiding the reporter, were present
to witness the closing scene. All
gathered under tue shed and there
in happy conversation and 'clirw
ing cane" chased away the golden
hours. Presently the crowd became
curious TO see the reporter aud Tess
tide the horse which furnished the
motive power tor the mill.
Ne were not favorably impressed
with the idea, but the young ladies
persisted, so VIC told FesS if he
would ride first we would follow
suit. He acQuicscc,i, and made
ready 10 mount the animal. Going
up TO the wrong side he nut his lett
foot in the stirrup, swung the re-
manning one over tho horses
neck, and there he sat, in what po-
sltiOn gentle reader YOU can imag.
ine. A roa of laughter went mp
from the crowd; Fess realized he
was wrong and so did we. He
scrambled on top the saddle, his
lace the color of a lizard, and by
great difficulty retaining his eQui-
li0rium, swapped ends. Feeling
pretty certain all was right this
time, he CLICKED to the horse, it
started of in Il slow trot, Fess at
the same time jumping up and down
worse than Il railroad train
running over cross ties, nothwith-
standing the fact he was clinging
on to the saddle with bulldog te
nacity. Fess soon got enough, then
came our turn. We prOfted from
experience, from observation, got
on the horse ia the same position
Tess was last. We, too, soon tired,
turned the animal over 10 it's origi-
nal rider, an" the grinding went on
without further interruption until
completed. The crowd returning
to the parlOr, amused themselves
further by the playing of games,
etc. Refreshments consisting of
lemonade and cake a handed
around 10y Mrs. Gofi aud about III
O'Clock We babe adieu and all dis
perSedH TO their respective homes,
having siirnt a most delightful eve
ming indeed.
"Bear SignS1 we're discovered in
Black Greek swamp early Friday
morning. The Intelligence spread
rapidly, and by evening every lover
of tue chase a agog with prepa
Tations tor the approaching shear
drivep to take place on the morrow.
Earlv Saturday morning a larpe